


A Blackguard's Affair

by Linus_of_House_Dahl



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Adultery, Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Argonians (Elder Scrolls), Bosmer (Elder Scrolls), Comedy, Courtroom Drama, Crimes & Criminals, Drama, Drugs, Enchanted Jewelry, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Headcanon, Illusion Magic, Interracial By Fantasy Standards, Khajiit (Elder Scrolls), Minor Violence, Non-Human Genitalia, Nords (Elder Scrolls), Riften (Elder Scrolls), Romance, Solitude (Elder Scrolls), Ta'agra (Elder Scrolls), Thieves Guild (Elder Scrolls) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:40:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27954011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linus_of_House_Dahl/pseuds/Linus_of_House_Dahl
Summary: A tale of crime and adultery set in an AU of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Relationships: Bolli/Haelga (Elder Scrolls), Bolli/Nivenor (Elder Scrolls), OC/Nivenor
Kudos: 2





	A Blackguard's Affair

Nivenor was heading home after a long afternoon of paperwork at the fishery. More than anything just then she wanted a hot bath with lavender. If only Bolli would agree to hire an in-home servant, there would be one waiting for her, but her husband said no every time she brought up the matter. Really, what was the point of owning a successful business if you didn't spend that money to make this dreary life more comfortable and joyous? Bolli had spent the last 4 years of their marriage attempting to shame her for her every purchase. Every dress to make herself more the envy of other women. Every piece of jewelry to aggrandize their success in the eyes of their peers. Every imported delicacy to be shared in moments of intimate discourse. He begrudged her every last septim. Worse still, for the past year, he had given too many of those septims away to the poor, and to the Temple of Mara. If he was willing to spend that money for the benefit of people he had little to nothing to do with, why was he so unwilling to spend it on his own wife's happiness?

Their marriage had taken a downward turn about 2 years earlier when Bolli discovered that she had been taking anti-impregnation potions, and proclaimed all their love-making to that point had been a waste. Nivenor had never been so insulted. He spoke as if she were his broodmare. It wasn't that she had not wanted to have children someday, perhaps, but in her view, the first few decades of marriage should be for a husband and wife to enjoy each other. Things further soured when, during a conversation with a local priestess of Mara, Bolli learned for the first time how racial interbreeding worked. The child would of course inherit characteristics of the father, but would always be the race of the mother. His idealized vision of at-least-half-Nord offspring was crushed. It was then that Nivenor came to believe that Bolli never truly viewed her as a partner of any kind, just a collection of parts. Hands to work for him, a warm body to lay with when in the mood, a womb to provide him heirs. Whatever passion she held for him ended there.

It wasn't long before they each sought enjoyment elsewhere.

As Nivenor came to their home near the northern gates of the city of Riften, the last rays of the sun fell behind the stone walls, bringing an early dusk to a city of dark repute. As she approached her door, and reached into her waist-pouch for the key, a near-black furred hand shot out of the alleyway, and pulled her roughly in.

She was just about to scream for the city guards, but the soft pads of clawed fingers were pressed to her mouth, and within a worn leather hood she saw the slitted yellow eyes of a predator.

“You fetcher!”, she yelled as quietly as she could, and slapped at his armor-clad chest. “What are you doing?”

“Claiming a favored lover for the night. Yourself?”, the Khajiit replied playfully. He was N'Karis, full-time criminal and part-time everything else. He was a longtime member of the Thieves Guild, but only as it suited him. His lackadaisical attitude toward his profession was tolerated by the Guild only because of his willingness to take on the most dubious and dangerous jobs, and his loose association with them provided a reasonable degree of denial when things got messy.

“I told you to be careful around me. My husband has been having me investigated, you know that!” She glanced about both ends of the alley.

“Have you seen anyone following you lately?”

“Not for a few weeks.”, she admitted.

“Good. After you told me about it, I promised Gian the Fist 100 gold to convince any strangers he spotted tailing you to leave town. Looks like he earned it.”, he grinned.

“He didn't kill them, did he?”

“Not that I've heard”, he shrugged, “but I wanted to give you the freedom to play as you like while I was gone.”

Nivenor smirked. This was why Khajiit made the best paramours in her view. Any other male could become entitled and possessive, and concerned that you were somehow being unfaithful to them. Not Khajiit. They loved passionately, unashamedly, and freely, and encouraged those they loved to do the same. She didn't recall the term for this philosophy in Ta'agra offhand, but she remembered it translated to Tamrielic as “wise loins”.

“Thanks.” She rolled her eyes, and rubbed her fingertips against the grain of his charcoal-furred triceps.

“Did you have other plans for the night? If not, your place? And if so, can I come too?”

“No, no plans, but I don't know how much time we'd have. And you,” She glanced down suggestively. “You take up a lot of time.”, she purred.

“Hmm. Well, I'd wager we're good for 2 hours, at least. Bolli went into The Bee & Barb a little while ago, Haelga shortly after, and Maramal is holding evening services, so I imagine he'll go into the usual arguing, alcohol, adultery, attrition, and atonement. In some-such order. I like our chances, and besides, I haven't gotten a chance to fuck in a real bed in months.”

“Oh, poor you.” She ran her fingers along his jaw-line to his chin. It took a special eye and some very wise loins to fully appreciate the beauty of the Khajiit. Most consider the race beasts, incapable of being anything other than thieves and killers, and yes, admittedly the one who was pressing her bodily to the side of her house was both. But they are so much more, she had come to know. They were what life could be unfettered by everything but the pursuit of a life worth living. Every Khajiit, whether rich or poor, king or slave, possessed a kind of freedom which could not be granted nor taken. Nivenor envied that beyond words. “Alright. Give me about 10 minutes, then let yourself in.”

Nivenor dashed up the stairs to her bedroom. She wished again for that hot bath, though she knew 10 minutes wasn't long enough to enjoy it anyway. She pulled off her boots and clothes, and washed herself at the basin. N'Karis had said in the past that she didn't need to wear perfume for his sake, and that her own scent was more than enough to excite him. Still, she was embarrassed to have the smell of the fishery on her. She attempted to towel herself off and pull her hairpins out at the same time and did neither well. She went to the wardrobe to choose something risque. Of all the males she'd had over her 58 years of life, and there were a few, she could recall none of them ever exciting her the way N'Karis did. His sporadic appearances made her nervous as a bride and horny as a teenager all at once. He was something special, and she wanted him to keep coming back.

In an ideal world, she would leave Bolli and marry him in a heartbeat. Sure, Bolli was rich, but N'Karis was much more than that. He was even richer, and a fantastic fuck to boot. Apparently a life of thievery, bounty hunting, plundering tombs, and all around trouble-making was quite a bit more profitable than fishing. Who knew? It would never happen, though. His was not a life that could incorporate a spouse, and even if they were to marry, how would that really change anything? He would still travel the countryside seeking riches. She would still be a homebody spending said riches. Besides, a wedding ceremony wasn't likely to cause either of them to spontaneously embrace monogamy. They were who they were, and each didn't want the other to be anything otherwise.

Nivenor held one of her favorite nightgowns to her body before the mirror. Silk, from Hammerfell, dyed lavender-purple and scandalously transparent.

“That color looks good on you, though most do.” Nivenor made a small squeak of shock in response to the unexpected commentary. She turned to see N'Karis, dressed down now to his padded leather trousers, and a worn sleeveless undershirt, lounging on the previously empty bed.

“That wasn't 10 minutes.”, she said, clutching the nightgown to her chest, and wondering how he came in through the window and slipped past her without her elven ears alerting her in the slightest.

“This one couldn't find a clock.” He always had the Elsweyr accent, and while his Tamrielic was usually flawless, every once in a while he still shed the use of pronouns. She turned back to the mirror to let N'Karis admire her shapely backside, which he did for a moment, before standing up behind her. He chuckled slightly at her hair, and removed the remaining hairpins. He ran his clawed fingertips along her scalp, undoing the braiding and letting her black locks fall to her shoulders. He pulled away the unneeded nightgown and retrieved something from one of the many pockets Guild armor pieces always included.

“I suspect, though, that emerald looks best against your skin.” N'Karis draped a gold and emerald amulet over her shoulder, and Nivenor gasped at it's beauty. The craftsmanship was far superior to anything she had ever seen at Madesi's stall in the market, or anywhere since she had left Valenwood as a child. She lifted the hair at her neck to let him fasten it, and the bauble fell between her small yet admirable breasts. It was hard to argue with him. The emeralds did look exquisite against her caramel toned skin.

“Dare I inquire as to its former owners status?” She was teasing him. She didn't really care where or how he got it, and he wouldn't precisely say anyway. It was a gift to her, his favored lover. That made it more precious than any trinket she had ever bought for herself with someone else's money.

“They lament its loss, I'm sure. This is more than metal and stone, dal'ariit.”

“Enchanted?”, she asked excitedly.

“A fairly strong one, from what the assessor told me. You should find your words more persuasive while you wear it. I warn you, though, don't come to rely on it to get what you want, or to get you out of trouble.”

“So if I were to ask something of you, it would compel you agree?”

“The magic won't work on someone if they know it's there, which is why I warned against reliance on it.”, he said more sternly. Nivenor understood. He was looking out for her safety, and in fairness, this was a power she would likely have abused otherwise. “However”, he softened, pulling her closer to him, “it's more than likely this one would agree to anything you should ask of him in the next 2 hours, magic or no.”

Within seconds, they had pulled off N'Karis' remaining clothes and were ravishing each other like Oblivion would consume the world tomorrow. Traditional kissing techniques could be difficult where Khajiit were concerned, but they managed quite well. N'Karis would lick her lips, her neck, her ears. Nivenor would grasp his tongue with her lips when she could catch it. She softly bit him along his jawline, on his neck and his shoulders, and his ears, which she'd discovered were very ticklish. As his teeth were much sharper than hers, he plied them more carefully, and only to the thickest portions of her skin. In a previous encounter, his zeal resulted in a large bite mark on her inner thigh, which she had to conceal from Bolli for over a week. She later forgave him, and said she would treasure the faint marks that remained, as a memento of their joyous nights.

They fell into bed together. Nivenor thoroughly enjoyed rubbing any part of her skin against the fur of his chest, abdomen, and groin. It was the shade of heavy rainclouds, and softer than any fur which could be bought in Skyrim. She once asked N'Karis to bequeath her his pelt in his will, and he laughed aloud. He said if there was anything left of his hide by the time whoever caught him was done, it was all hers.

N'Karis put his tongue to work between her legs. She was wet enough as it was, but she wasn't about to complain. Many assumed that Khajiit are like cats in every aspect, so their tongues must be rough. It wasn't true. His wasn't rougher than that of any other male who had tasted her. It was wider, and somehow heavier. She could feel the weight of it when it pressed against her, and its width when he rolled it and slipped inside her.

Nivenor became impatient and pulled his face up to hers. After one final desperate grappling of tongues, they looked down, and guided his into hers. The full length of his penis was now unsheathed, and it pierced her effortlessly. She pulled him close, pressing his chest to hers, and he rested his forehead on hers. Among Khajiit, it was a gesture of deep affection. Moments passed. Nivenor always found this part difficult, and she suppressed the urge to begin rocking her hips. She knew doing so could throw off the response, and she'd just have to wait longer.

Then she felt it start. A slight pressure from the rows of spines which ringed the lower half of his member, almost a flutter. Then Nivenor felt N'Karis begin to enlarge within her. Soon it was curving up to press rhythmically against her front wall. It became longer with each cycle, and the tip began to brush against the passage to her womb. At this first touch, it recoiled, and Nivenor gasped. N'Karis raised his head, smiled, and gazed into her large reddish-brown eyes, and she into his. The light of the goat-horn lamps above the bed further darkened his face, and that contrasted the yellow of his slitted eyes to the point of radiance.

Shortly after, the pulsation reached such rhythm and strength that Nivenor could believe his very heart was inside her. Khajiit copulation was unique among the peoples of Tamriel, in that thrusting was unneeded, and inadvisable in any case. The slightest movement of the hips by either could change the sensation, but keeping still proved impossible. The only constant was roiling waves of flesh pushing flesh. When the right spots were pressed, Nivenor's whole body would shudder and tense, and she dug her fingernails into N'Karis' back to signal her approval.

After several minutes, a growl began to reverberate in N'Karis' throat, and they both knew he was close. He placed his chin on her shoulder and tightened his embrace. Nivenor had been here often enough to know what to do, and raised her hand to grab a pillow. His body convulsed from his lower back to his knees in time with the pulse, which only grew in intensity. Soon it would appear from an outside perspective as if he were thrusting into her, yet they were so tightly bound no space came between them.

At the crescendo, N'Karis' body was near fully ridged. He raised his head, opened his mouth wide, and Nivenor rammed the pillow in. The houses of Riften were solidly built and kept most noise in or out, but the roar of a Khajiit in climax was pushing it.

Every inch of Nivenor's interior that did not hold N'Karis now held his seed, and she could feel her womb greedily lapping it up. She savored the feeling. She was still taking her potions regularly, of course, and her feelings toward procreation had not changed. Though moments such as this awakened her animal drives, and she allowed the satisfaction tinged with sadness in this brief maternal impulse.

N'Karis pulled the pillow from his mouth and panted upon her chest for half a minute. He gazed upon his Wood Elf companion with a look of dizzy euphoria and inexpressible gratitude. Right then he would have sneaked his way past a dozen dragons if it meant he could rest his head on this female's breast for an hour. Or murdered one fisherman. Whichever.

Nivenor looked upon her feline consort and giggled at his expression. He could seem so innocent at times, which was preposterously far from the truth. Perhaps he was innocent, in his own unique way. Not in any legal, theological, or ethical sense, certainly. Though perhaps a part of who he was could be considered separate from what he does. The part that spoke without censor, that loved without restraint. That was the part she adored. The rest was negotiable.

A familiar throbbing reminded her of the other part of him she adored. For men or elves, the release of their seed marked the end of the fun most of the time. When one has a proper Khajiit lover, however, it is only the beginning.

About 45 minutes in, they were still going strong. So far, N'Karis was on the 4th of his secondary ejaculations, and estimated he could go to 6 tonight. As removal was ill advised, and rotation was often hazardous as well, the range of positions available was limited by the position first taken. They learned to make do, and since their first encounter 9 months earlier, had gotten reasonably adept at shifting positions without incident. It would prove useful tonight.

“Shh! I think someone is at the door.”, N'Karis hissed. Nivenor held her breath and focused her ears. Between the two, Khajiit and Bosmer, they possessed the most acute senses of hearing of any of the Tamrielic races. It proved to be quite a boon in the conduct of illicit affairs.

“It's Bolli!”, she whispered. “Can you pull out now?”

N'Karis focused on calming his genitals. He could manage it sometimes, to relax the spines enough to pull out early without drawing blood, though it wasn't his most reliable skill. He attempted a slight pull.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Nivenor expressed her discomfort as quietly as she could.

“No, not an option. How about I kill him?” Bolli inserted the key.

“Please think of something else first!” Bolli turned the key.

Bolli opened the front door, and inspiration struck.

“I need you follow my instructions quickly. Yes?”, N'Karis said, and Nivenor nodded.

“Niv? Are you home?”, Bolli called from downstairs.

“Rap your arms around my neck and your legs around my waist.” She did immediately. He lifted her up off the bed, supporting her back with one hand and her butt with the other. Nivenor still winced quietly as he stood. “Grab the corner of the sheets with your toes and pull them taught.” She gave him a confused look, but did it. Fortunately Bosmer were arboreal creatures by nature, and had more dexterous toes than most, so she managed it in 2 tries.

“Niv?”, Bolli called again as he started toward the stairs. N'Karis kicked his clothes under the bed. Supporting Nivenor's buttocks with both hands now, he moved to the corner and pressed her against the walls. Her husband's boots could now be heard on the stairs.

“Stay very still, and very quiet.”, the Khajiit said lastly, and drew upon his magicka.

“Hello?”, Bolli called as he entered the bedroom. “Ah, what is this?” Bolli leaned down to find his wife's clothes, boots, hairpins, and a towel scattered about the floor and sighed in exasperation. He seemed to take no notice of the mostly transparent mass in the opposite corner of the room. “'Your clothes will be ruined if you don't take care of them', I'll say. 'I can always buy more with your hard earned gold', she'll say.” Nivenor gave a slight squeak, seemingly in response to her husbands mockery of her in her assumed absence, though Bolli didn't hear.

N'Karis was now grateful his love was as light as she was. This was a definite strain on his legs, but they would hold up longer than his spell would. Nivenor began to squirm slightly, and he pressed her more firmly into the corner to try to signal her to stop. It seemed to have just the opposite effect.

“She's probably out in the lake again, swimming naked for all Riften to see.”, Bolli muttered.

She squeaked again. N'Karis had no effective way to communicate with her without risking detection. If he did, he could ask her to ease off digging her fingernails into his back.

Bolli sniffed about for a moment. Khajiit musk could be rather pungent to those who hadn't developed an appreciation for it, though it was far more likely the hastily concealed bodily fluids that had caught the attention of his nose. “Has she bought another of those damned imported perfumes? Arrgh!” Bolli slumped down onto the corner of the bed.

Nivenor bit down onto N'Karis' shoulder. This was harder than her usual bites of affection. He knew she could be prideful, but was it really so hard for her to listen to her husband's unfiltered grievances? Bolli rose and started to the stairs to, when something on the floor caught his eye.

“Hey? What's this?” He leaned down by the dresser, and N'Karis worried for a moment he may have kicked his pants too hard and they had come out the other side. Instead he came up with a lavender silk nightgown. “I don't recall her ever wearing this for my benefit. Hmm.” He held the garment up. Bolli thought it likely she bought it and never wore it at all. “I wonder if this would fit Haelga?”

At that, Nivenor bit down on his shoulder so hard, N'Karis very nearly cried out. He grasped her buttocks tighter, but that just made her dig into him harder.

“Ah, she'll never miss it.” Bolli strode out of the room with the lingerie, down the stairs, out the door which he locked behind him, and off to the Bunkhouse.

N'Karis dismissed the camouflage and was about to ask what in Oblivion she had been playing at, but the instant he did, Nivenor let out a long and surprisingly deep groan, pushed against his chest with both palms, and her entire upper body shuddered. He was very confused now.

“Are you... ah... how are you?”

It took a bit for her to catch her breath and order her thoughts enough to say, “Yeah, no I'm... yeah. I think, yeah... I think we just discovered my new favorite position.” She looked into his eyes with a mix of elation and unrestrained depravity emanating from her own. “So, well done all around, I'd say.”

“Ah, well... good then. I'm glad something worthwhile was gained from this incident.” He was both bewildered and proud of himself, yet he would be ashamed to admit that the entire time he had just ignored all sexual sensation to focus on their dilemma. “To be honest, this one is amazed that actually worked.”

“When did you learn the Invisibility spell?” N'Karis' skills encompassed every form of inconspicuous mayhem he could learn. Illusion magic was one such skill, and willing oneself to become Invisible without the aid of alchemy or artifice represented a near-mastery of the craft.

“I haven't. That was a lesser chameleon spell. Not nearly as effective, but easier to perform.” Nivenor was impressed by his quick thinking regardless.

“Speaking of performing, you think you can keep going like this?”, she asked hopefully. He was willing to give it a try.

In total, he achieved 8 secondary ejaculations that night, a personal best.

The evening wound down, and N'Karis and every last muscle in his legs were grateful to lie back down again. They found what worked best for them was for him to lie on his back while Nivenor straddled him and comforted him through his tertiary ejaculations. Unlike the first 2 types, these became progressively less enjoyable. However there was no avoiding them, as they still had to wait for his penile spines to relax enough for withdrawal. This gave them an opportunity to discuss recent events.

“Of course I was mad, but not about anything he said. I couldn't care less about his opinion of me at this point. What I'm upset about is my favorite nightgown, gone! Off to be draped over that pudgy Nord whore.”, she pouted. They both knew she would be happy enough to purchase a new one.

“This one could steal it back in the morning easily enough.”, he offered.

“As if I'd want it after her fat ass has stretched it out.”, which was the reply he expected. Still, she rubbed his belly in appreciation of the offer. “It's clear to me now we are approaching the point at which the indignities of this marriage will outweigh the benefits.”, she proclaimed in a haughty manner. N'Karis tried not to laugh, and nearly succeeded. He loved this creature for all that she was, though much of what she was made her an objectively terrible person. Prideful, spoiled, selfish, mercurial, spiteful, arrogant... if not for her enlarged eyes, one could assume she was an unusually tan Altmer.

“When that point comes, then you will divorce him?” He had no real motive to see her marriage come to an end, because he knew she would only be trading the aggravations of a husband for the challenges of independence, and she'd be exasperated with those before she finished packing. He was just concerned.

“I can't do that!”

“Why?”

“Because he wants to divorce me!”

N'Karis paused and took a deep breath before responding.

“I've come to understand that the cultures of other races are often filled with idiosyncratic concepts which are counter-intuitive to the Khajiit mind.” His expression soured at the first of his tertiary ejaculations. “I feel that we've come upon such a one now, so if you could please explain that reasoning to me, slowly, that would be wonderful.” She gave him a crooked smile as she rubbed his flanks.

“It's obvious the reason Bolli hired an investigator to follow me was to get proof that I've been unfaithful to him.” It was amazing how she could say that with a straight face as she sat astride the pelvis of a male who was not her husband. “He wants that evidence so he can feel justified in divorcing me. His sense of self-righteousness insists that he remains in the right in the eyes of our neighbors and the divines. It's pure and simple hypocrisy, and he knows it!”, she exclaimed.

“However, he has been unable to obtain that evidence because you are far more skilled at concealing your infidelity than he is at his, yes?” N'Karis thought he was beginning to understand.

“I suppose that's one way to express it, yes.” In the utterance of that sentence, Nivenor had come far closer to the discomfort of self-awareness than she cared to.

“So it would be a simple matter to prove his unfaithfulness, correct?”

“Yes...” She wasn't sure where he was going with this anymore.

“So if you were to obtain that proof, you could divorce him, and the justification would be yours?” He winced in pain again.

“Well, yes.” She rubbed his chest sympathetically. “But no... see, he's the one who wants justification. What I want is satisfaction.” And a reasonable amount of alimony would be nice, she thought.

“The satisfaction of denying him justification?” Now he was lost.

“Yes, but more than that... it's... ah, I don't know anymore.” Nivenor slumped down, buried her nose in N'Karis' luxurious chest fur, and dragged her face back and forth across it, but it wasn't as enjoyable as usual just then. Eventually, she propped her her head up on her chin, and looked into his eyes. “Please help me.”

N'Karis stared up at the ceiling for well over a minute, assessing the problem.

“In all planning there must be a clear objective.”, he began. From the day he could run, N'Karis was raised a Thoghatt, a charcoal warrior of the Blackwood. Here he was drawing upon the lessons of his father, a gifted tactician among his clan's war-bands. “Against an opponent, particularly one who arouses your anger, you must adhere to this objective, and never let your opponent take the lead. Never let him set the terms. Never let him decide what is victory and what is failure.” N'Karis propped himself up on one elbow, and placed his hand upon Nivenor's face. “Speak your heart, dal'ariit. What do you want?”

She barely paused a moment.

“I want endless riches. I want to never have to work another day of my life. I want to be safe, to be secure. I want to be pampered. I want to be spoiled.” As she spoke, her face became a mask of pure avarice. “I want my own home. A palatial manor. I want imported furniture with green and gold upholstery. I want magelight crystal chandeliers in every room. I want artisan silver-inlaid fixtures. I want a warm bath every evening in a tub big enough for threesomes. I want to be massaged with any of a hundred different scented oils everyday after breakfast. I want a live-in harem of at least 9 male concubines.” Nivenor ran her fingertips down her lover's chest for emphasis there. “I want to be the envy of queens and empresses. I want to throw parties that Sanguine himself would beg to be invited to. I want liqueurs and delicacies from every corner of Nirn. I want to eat a fucking unicorn!” The predatory and slightly maniacal gleam in her eyes just then left little doubt of it in N'Karis' mind. She then adopted a more venomous tone. “I want Bolli to grow old with that cow Haelga, and for her to give him a dozen children he will never be entirely sure are his. I want him to look upon me 40 years to the day after I toss his sorry fish-loving ass in the lake, look to his saggy whore of a wife, and forever compare her to the immaculate goddess I remain!” 'And I was only going to kill him', N'Karis thought. “I want to be coated in moon sugar and I want you to lick me clean. I want you to fuck me, on any night of your choosing, with the windows open so all the Rift echoes with your roar ...and I want you to share my bed until the sun rises.”

As she stated her final set of demands, she began to speak more softly, more haltingly, and at the end she seemed at the verge of tears. N'Karis sat up and wrapped his arms around her, and she around him. This was the greatest reason his love was such a precious thing to Nivenor. He wouldn't judge her for her darkest desires and her worst impulses, nor would he view moments of vulnerability such as these with disdain. She could lie with 10,000 males and never find another like him.

N'Karis was at a loss as how to respond, yet he gave a response.

“I'll see what I can do.”

She laughed.

Bolli was in his office at the Riften Fishery, wondering if he should look into finding a new supplier of salt. It was essential to preserving the fish for transport across Skyrim, and the fishery went through several thousand pounds every year. The last few years, the nation had seen more than its share of turmoil, owing to many causes. Things had quieted down over the last 2 seasons, and travel outside the cities was a bit safer now, but the transport costs had yet to reflect that change. Perhaps one of the merchant ships that make berth at Windhelm...

His mind drifted from business to the thought of Haelga in that silk nightgown again. She had loved it, though it was a bit tight about the hips, and he loved it on her. The tightness only added to its charms in his estimation. It was hard not to think of Haelga these days. Over the last few weeks, Nivenor seemed to be spending more time out with her female friends, which afforded many more opportunities than average to be with the enthusiastic practitioner of the Dibellan Arts. In fact, he likely had spent more time in Haelga's unusually sturdy bed this past week then he had his own marriage bed.

It was unfortunate the investigator he had hired to confirm Nivenor's infidelity had failed him. The man hadn't even reached out to him in almost 2 months now, and though he hadn't heard news of any ill befalling him, the city of Riften was not without its perils. Without that evidence, he couldn't divorce his wife. Well, he could, but not without some scandal. To divorce his wife of nearly 5 years and turn around and marry his mistress would surely earn him some sideways glances at the very least. And Niv would certainly make a scene of it. He needed that evidence to prove she was just as bad or worse than he was.

A knocking came at the dockside door of the fishery, rousing him from his thoughts. He leaned in his chair to look out the door of his office, but saw no one about.

“Wujeeta? Could you see who's at the door?”, Bolli called out, but there was no reply. He got up to look around, but there was no sign of his Argonian employee. Where had she gone off to? Another knocking came. “Yes, yes, I'm coming.”

He opened the door to find an Argonian, but not one that was in his employ.

“Good morning, sir. Do I have the pleasure of addressing the proprietor, Mr. Bolli Trout-Purse?” The reptilian gentleman was well dressed, and clutching a leather folio under one arm.

“You do, friend, though just Bolli will do. I can't recall the last time anyone called me 'Trout-Purse'” Bolli held no particular admiration for Argonians. He considered the few in his employ to be only fitfully reliable, but this one appeared to be here on business, and business took precedent. “May I have your name?”

“Gajul-Lei, if you please.” Bolli stood aside and let him enter. “I must first tell you I am not here on my own behalf, but that I am representing the interests of my employer, The Kvatch Company.”

“I've never heard of a 'Kvatch Company'. What does it make?”

“Investments. You see, the company was founded shortly after the Oblivion Crisis, thus the name, and invests to help businesses starting out, those recovering after calamity, or to aid existing businesses in expanding operations. We've done most of our work in Cyrodiil and Hammerfell thus far, but now that things seem to be calming in Skyrim, we are looking for new opportunities here.”

“Ah. Well, please have a seat in my office.” Bolli gestured to the room at the end of the fishery.

“Thank you.” Gajul-Lei threaded his tail through the back of a chair and sat. “My employer has already begun purchasing parcels of land we believe will be of use to us, including a jetty by the Solitude Lighthouse. Are you familiar with the area?”

“Not particularly. My line of work doesn't afford me the opportunities for travel I'm certain yours does.” Bolli could see this Argonian was taking some time to come to his purpose, but he humored him for the moment. It was a slow day, anyway.

“Well, as I say, the company purchased this jetty, sight unseen, at what we believed was a bargain price. It was hoped that the jetty could be expanded into a private dock for use by our shipping partners. From the savings of not having to pay the East Empire Company's berthing fees alone, the parcel would have payed for itself within 3 months. But we when surveyed the sight for ourselves...” The Argonian tensed at the edges of his mouth.

“Let me guess. Unsuitable for your purposes.”, Bolli surmised. He felt he was demonstrating intelligence, though it was a fairly obvious conclusion.

“Entirely. We are, however, undaunted. Upon further consideration, it was determined that the site was ideal for the construction of a new fishery.” Gajul-Lei gave his best of what he called his 'Salesman Smile'. Bolli didn't seem to be impressed, however.

“You've come all this way just to announce yourself as a competitor?” He began to rise from his chair.

“Oh no, you misunderstand, Mr. Bolli.” Gajul-Lei raised his hand to politely gesture for Bolli to sit back down. “We would like you to oversee the construction and operation of this fishery. The Kvatch Company is prepared to invest 25,000 septims for start-up capital. Once an agreement can be reached upon an appropriate dividend, the parcel will be signed over to your company, and construction can begin.”

“A second fishery?” Bolli was awestruck.

“Indeed. We also project that having these fisheries at the opposite ends of Skyrim should reduce your overall operational costs, and improve the quality of the product supplied to the western-most holds. It's all outlined in the proposal I've brought with me. We can go over it together now, but you needn't make any decisions until you've had a chance come out and view the site for yourself, of course.”

“A second fishery...” Bolli was still awestruck.

“Yes, Mr. Bolli.”, Gajul-Lei replied patiently.

Beneath the feet of the two businessmen, Wujeeta, who had been patching the stonework below the waterline when her boss had called for her earlier, was now surfaced, and paused in her work to eavesdrop through the floorboards.

Bolli was headed home at the end of the workday, and over the course of the afternoon, the initial sense of wonderment had passed. He now began to weigh the pros and cons of it all. Of greatest concern was who would take charge of the Riften Fishery. The primary sticking point to the agreement Gajul-Lei had laid out was that it required him to personally oversee the construction and first year of operation of the new Solitude Fishery. The 2 most natural candidates would be his senior-most employees, Wujeeta and Valindor, and he had doubts about both. Wujeeta best understood the workings of the business, and she had turned things around over the past year or so, but Bolli still had his reservations. Valindor was a fine worker, but he split his time between the Fishery and the Black-Briar Meadery, and though he could never prove it, he still suspected the elf of bedding his wife.

Nivenor was another issue. Would she even want to move? He certainly couldn't leave her to her own devices here in Riften for a year. Divines know how many men she'd sleep with, or how far into debt he'd be by the time he got back. On the other hand, perhaps a change of scenery could benefit their marriage. A chance for them both to start again, away from the temptations of adultery. That of course would mean he'd have to break it off with...

“Bolli!” A robustly built Nord woman suddenly embraced him from behind. When he turned around, she gave him a kiss that was arguably too passionate for the public setting.

“Haelga! Have you gone mad?” He looked around, but saw no sign there was anyone paying particular attention to them. Still, he distanced himself from her.

“Sorry, my lover, but I was so excited when I heard the news, and I've been waiting all afternoon so we could discuss it.” She was still clasping his hands.

“News?”

“The Solitude Fishery. This is the chance we've been waiting for!”

“Who told you about that?” He was not prepared to have this conversation now.

“Wujeeta. She was at the Bunkhouse on her lunch break, and she told me all about it.”

“How did she hear about it?”, he snarled. First thing in the morning, he was going to demote her for putting him in this position.

“I don't know. Just gossip, I guess. But does that matter? This is the perfect opportunity for you to divorce that Wood Elf slut,” He began shushing her, but she went on. “and for us to leave this cesspit of a city behind like we've always talked about.”

“Yes, but... but what about the bunkhouse? You can't just leave it behind...” That had long been his default argument in these situations. It never worked, but it was still his best argument.

“Of course I can! I've hated that place, and I've only ever broken even running it, you know that.” Didn't work that time, either. “I told Svana she could have it for 2 septims for all I cared, and she slapped the coins on the counter right then.” The way she stated it made it sound as though she had made the bargain of the era.

“But I haven't even agreed to the offer yet! I haven't seen the site, or negotiated terms...”

“So? I didn't sign the deed over yet. I'm not that silly. I've just accepted her offer. If we go through with the move, she gets it. If we don't, she doesn't.”

“But I haven't... ah...” He had run out of reasonable arguments. Usually he eventually got the better of Haelga in these discussions, he thought, but today he was blindsided.

“Is this about not getting the proof your wife has been sleeping around? Why should that matter now? No one in Solitude will care about our past. And I don't think it would cause as big of a scandal as you seem to think anyway. There's enough rumors swirling around about her, and I should know because I've swirled most of them. The people in Solitude won't know, and after a year the people of Riften won't remember. They'll all come to see it as you tossing that elven trollop into the gutter where she belongs and getting the proper Nord wife and children you deserve.” Haelga on the other hand had been refining her case for nearly 6 hours. The word 'children' landed the heaviest blow, as it was intended to.

“...I have to think about it.”, Bolli muttered in defeat. Haelga let his hands drop.

“Well, while your thinking, think about this. For over a year now, you've been hemming and hawing about your divorce, and I've been patient, because you said you wanted to do this right by the gods.” He had rarely seen Haelga like this. She was usually confident and commanding. Now she looked to be barely holding it together. “But I'm getting tired of you drawing this out. This deal is the best chance we'll ever get to start a new life together. If you go to Solitude without me, don't believe for a moment that I'll wait for you. You know what I can do for you. You know what I've done to you. And if you choose your wife, I'll make sure she knows it too.” It wasn't an idle threat, he knew. Women could be spiteful creatures. “So the choice is the same as it has ever been. Her or me. There is no more middle ground.” Haelga turned and strode back to the Bunkhouse without a single backward glance.

After nearly a minute, Bolli tilted his head and looked to the sky.

“Gods, what have I ever done to deserve this?”

He turned and continued on his way, while below him on the lower walkway, a mostly transparent figure gave a derisive snort.

Over the next hour, Bolli sat at the bar of The Bee & Barb to receive a steady supply of mead from Keerava, the owner. The Argonian innkeeper had what could have charitably been described as a 'acerbic' disposition, but since her marriage to Talen-Jei and learning of their first egg on the way, she had noticeably softened to 'tart'.

“So you want a 4th bottle, or should I just have Talen bring up a cask?”, she jibed in her usual raspy timbre.

“Not in th' mood t'day, Kerrava.”, Bolli groaned with his elbows on the bar and his head in both hands. He accepted the bottle, however.

“Your mood is no great concern of mine.”, she retorted and moved to help another patron.

“Ah, Bolli, this one has... oh. This one seems troubled.”, a voice came from behind. Bolli turned and saw a dark-furred Khajiit in simple travel-worn clothes and dusty boots. He recognized him as a courier, which is likely the only reason the guards allowed him into the city, though he couldn't recall a name.

“I'm sorry, was it M'skar or Ma'Chovy-Dru or somethin...?” Why were Khajiit names so silly, he wondered.

“This one remains N'Karis.” Bolli thought the Khajiit might look intimidating if he tried, but walking around with that wide-eyed stupid grin, he looked like a simpleton. He talked like a simpleton too. The Nord thought it best to just assume he was a simpleton.

“Well Na'Karish, your finely honed Khajiit senses have not failed you.” He took another swig of mead. “This one is troubled.”

“N'Karis is sorry to hear that. Are you troubled with money, or troubled with females? This one finds it most often one or the other.”

“Most often,” he agreed, “except in this case, where it's both of each.”

“This sounds like trouble, ah what is word... extraordinary.”

“Yep. That is word.” Bolli picked at the edges of his bottle's label.

“N'Karis is likely not qualified to help with such troubles, unless Bolli can think of a way he could ease them.”, the Khajiit offered sympathetically.

“No, I don't thi... oh, wait, yeah. You've been around Skyrim, right? When you're out... courier...ering?”

“There are many places N'Karis has not been, but he considers himself fortunate to have been allowed to see within the walls of many of Skyrim's great cities.” He sat beside Bolli on an empty bar stool.

“Anythin' you can tell me 'bout Solitude?”

“Oh, yes. N'Karis worked at the docks there one summer before he got into courierering. He still visits his friend Ma'zaka the lighthouse keeper whenever he is near. Such stories Ma'zaka tells.”

“That's nicsh. Ever been inside the city, thou?”

“Yes, a few times. This one made a delivery to the Bard's College... mmm, 3 moons ago, he thinks.”

“What's the city like?”

“Oh, it is wonderful. This one tries to look around after making his deliveries anytime he is let in, and see as much as he can before the guards tell him to leave. A beautiful city, so bright and vibrant, and so clean. N'Karis does not know how a city could be made so clean, but they do it.”

“Good place for a family, then, ya think?”

“Oh, a wonderful place. So many children, of all ages, playing in the streets and squares. Once they asked N'Karis to play Hiding and Seeking with them. It was fun, until the guards say this one is 'skulking', and show him to the gates. The guards can be rough with this one, but he supposes it is good they protect the young so vigorously.” Bolli burst into laughter at that, spitting up a fair bit of mead in the process. N'Karis handed him a handkerchief. He wiped off his mouth and beard, and finished laughing.

“Hahahaaa... that's great.” He handed the handkerchief back.

“Oh, but the most wondrous thing this one has seen there, a shop called Radiant Raiment. Have you heard of this?” Bolli shook his head. “Oh, N'Karis had never seen so many clothes and shoes, so many rings and necklaces. They have a green shirt and vest that this one thinks will make him look quite fetching, and he plans to buy if he can. So expensive, but the quality is unequaled in all of Skyrim, this one thinks. And so the snooty elves who work there tell.”

“Is that right?” Much of the joy on his face fell away at the thought of the combination of a premier clothier and his spendthrift wife.

“Oh yes, and this one has not even spoken of the Bard's College yet. So many young and beautiful people of all types of Man and Elf. So much art and poetry and music and life. And a lot of zuub-zuub going on by the smell of it, eh?”, N'Karis said suggestively.

“Zoob-zoob?” Bolli was very sure that was not a word in any language.

“Well, you know how it is. Put a lot of males and females together, teach them some bawdy drinking songs, it's not long until they start getting an itching, and then they gotta scratch each other.” Then the Khajiit began laughing heartily. “I tell you, if N'Karis could sing worth a damn, he would sign up quick as the arrows fly.”

“Really? You don't say...” All of the joy on his face fell away at the thought of the combination of a dozen handsome bards and his flirtatious wife.

“Was there anything more specific Bolli would like to know?”

“No, no... I think that covers it. Thanks, K'Naris.” Bolli seemed to sober up quite a bit over the past couple of minutes.

“Bolli is welcome. Well, to business, K'Naris must speak of. I have curious letter for this one.”

“Which one?” How was it that Khajiit managed to learn Tamrielic at all when they can't even tell who they're talking to?

“You, N'Karis thinks is the pronoun.” He pointed at Bolli.

“What's so curious 'bout it?”

“The letter itself? Very little. But it had a curious journey, this one hears. It was delivered in error to a Bodil, a mine worker in Dawnstar, who cannot read, so there was some confusion as to what was to be done with it. Eventually, Bodil gave it to her boss, her boss then gave it to the Jarl's steward, the steward then put it in a pile, forgot about it, and fortunately remembered it when N'Karis there. So he now brings it to you.” The verbose Khajiit held out the sealed letter.

“Fasin...urp, nating.” The inebriate Nord accepted it.

“N'Karis thought so, too.”

“Well, here. Fer yer troubles.” Bolli barely managed to hand him a single septim without dropping it.

“N'Karis gives thanks, tani'jeek.” He turned, relaxed his face into its usual scowl, and headed for the exit.

“Wonder what a 'Tammy-Cheek' is.” Bolli reasoned it must have been some term for someone of higher station. He turned his attention back to the letter and broke the seal. He read it twice to make sure he understood it correctly, then stormed out of the tavern, filled to the brim with mead and righteous fury.

On the opposite side of The Bee & Barb, N'Karis walked through the city's main marketplace. He gave the coin to the beggar Edda, tossed the handkerchief into the forge at The Scorched Hammer, then headed down to The Ragged Flagon, his work for the night done.

“Nivenor!”, Bolli hollered as he entered the house where the two of them had spent nearly 5 years of marriage. He needn't have yelled. His soon-to-be-former wife was sitting at the dining table not 12 feet from the door, drinking tea.

“Yes, husband?”, she replied in an oddly cool tone.

“Oh no. Not 'husband'. Not anymore. No clothes, no jewelry, no sultry bards.” It made sense to him, but all Nivenor could glean from it was that he was drunk. “No more expensive cheese, no more wine from places I didn't even know had grapes. This is the end! I... am... divorcing... you!”, he proclaimed loud and clear.

If Nivenor was at all surprised, she didn't show it. She took one last sip of tea, set the cup on the table and stood.

“Very well. We'll meet at Mistvale Keep tomorrow morning at 9, and the Jarl can certify our annulment. I'll be staying at The Bee & Barb for the night.” She stepped around Bolli and headed for the door. “Oh, and don't touch any of my things.”, she said in parting.

Bolli took a moment to review the exchange that had just taken place.

“Well, alright. Good. Glad we got that sorted...”, he said to no one. “And what do you mean, 'Don't touch my things'? You don't have any 'things'! I bought all your damned 'things'!”, he yelled at the closed door.

He patted the letter in his pocket. It didn't matter. He was in the right. Nothing left to do but tell Haelga the good news, then maybe lick some honey off her ass. He sauntered out the door triumphant.

True to her word, Nivenor was at the Keep at 9 o'clock sharp, but Bolli was not. She explained the situation in brief to Jarl Laila Law-Giver, and the Steward, a fellow Bosmer named Anuriel, had already retrieved the relevant documents from the Hold Archives. At 20 minutes after the hour, the Jarl was just about ready to have the city guard locate him. It was then that Bolli, disheveled and hungover, entered the hall with Haelga and Svana in tow. Haelga looked to be in a similar state of disarray, but to her credit, Svana managed to come in presentable. She was likely the one who woke the other two.

“Now that we're all here, we can proceed. Bolli Trout-Purse, it is my understanding that you are the party which called for this annulment?”, Jarl Laila began.

“Yes, my Jarl.” He managed to straighten himself and respond clearly.

“Your name is Trout-Purse?”, Haelga whispered at his side. This was the first she'd heard of it.

“And you, Helga, was it?”, the Jarl continued.

“Haelga, my Jarl.” She was surprised to be addressed at all.

“Why are you here?”

“Ah, well I thought that my good friend Bolli could use some support during what is surely a difficult time for him.” She recovered nicely.

“Uh-huh...”, the Jarl intoned slowly. Jarl Laila had been disillusioned thoroughly by the events of the last few years, and had become far more cynical as a result. The general consensus was that she was a slightly better Jarl for it. “To be clear, have you ever engaged in carnal relations with your good friend Bolli during his marriage to Nivenor?”

“My Jarl,”, she started, suppressing a nervous laugh. “I would prefer not air the details of our private discourse in a public setting.” The laws did not compel her to testify on such matters.

“And Bolli, I assume that is your preference as well?”

“Yes, my Jarl.”, he agreed, wondering why the Jarl would even bring it up. He glanced over at Nivenor and wondered if she had something to do with it. His wife stood as though she was made of ice, and didn't look over.

“And you there, girl?” The Jarl pointed to the third member of the party.

“Svana Far-Shield, my Jarl. I'm Haelga's niece, and an employee at the Bunkhouse. However, I'm not here for this part. I actually came to certify a transfer of ownership of some property here in the city, or something... I'll be honest, I don't know how this kind of stuff works.” She gave an awkward smile.

“Have a seat, and I can guide you through the process once we're done here.”, Anuriel said patiently.

“Wait a moment.”, the Jarl interjected. “Svana, to your knowledge have Bolli and Haelga engaged in carnal relations over the past 5 years?” Both Bolli and Haelga shifted uncomfortably. Svana had never looked favorably upon their affair, nor her aunt in general, for that matter.

“That means fucking, right?” That drew some laughter from the various courtiers and guards in the hall.

“Yes, that means fucking, dear.” More laughter.

“Then yeah, Bolli is one of the men Haelga has been fucking.”

“Well, I'm glad that's settled... Wait, 'one of the men'?”

“Yes, my Jarl.”

“You mean to say that Bolli is not the only man in Riften that Haelga has been... fucking?” There wasn't much point in being tactful about word choice it at this point.

“My Jarl, I mean to say I'd bet you 10 septims right now that Bolli isn't even the only man in this room Haelga has been fucking.” That statement did draw some laughter, but mostly a lot of glancing around and some uncomfortable shuffling. Bolli turned his head to stare awestruck at Haelga, who was suddenly busying herself straightening her Amulet of Dibella.

“Thank you, Svana Far-Shield, you may be seated and await your petition.”, the Jarl sighed.

“Yes, my Jarl.” Svana was about to attempt some sort of curtsy, but thought better of it and went directly to one of the benches that lined the hall.

“My Jarl, I don't see that this has any barring on our annulment.” Bolli finally found his voice.

“My Jarl, I do not contest the divorce, and now that my husband's infidelity has been established before the court, I ask that the annulment of our marriage proceed under the agreed upon terms.”, Nivenor declared clearly.

“Terms? What terms?” Bolli looked uncertainly between Nivenor and the Jarl.

“The terms of your premarital agreement, which I will remind you of, as you've evidently forgotten them over the last 5 years.” The steward handed the Jarl the document from the folder on her lap. “I read from Clause 4, Section 2. 'In the event of an uncontested divorce, after reasonable accommodation for the custody and care of children, if any, all assets shall revert to their respective owners upon annulment. However, if one party can be confirmed to have engaged in extramarital carnal relations, all assets within this hold, and custody of children, if any, shall be the sole province of the aggrieved party. If both parties can be confirmed to have engaged in extramarital carnal relations, this agreement becomes null and void.' This document is signed by you both, witnessed, and notarized.”

“I never signed any such document!”, Bolli roared.

“Is this not your signature?” The Jarl held up the parchment for him examine. His face blanched at the sight of what appeared to be his name in his own hand.

“This is a forgery!”, Bolli insisted. “And the witness is Maven Black-Briar, a dead woman!”

“True, but over our many dealings I came to have a familiarity with Maven's signature. I still recognize it well enough. Would you agree, Anuriel?”, the Jarl asked handing the document back to her steward.

“I would, my Jarl, and this is certainly my seal and signature, though I confess I do not recall this particular document, nor why it was drafted in such unusually stark terms.”

“The terms were at Bolli's insistence.” Nivenor spoke up. “As I was an elf, he didn't trust me to remain faithful to him.”

“Lying elf-slut!”, Bolli yelled. Nivenor regarded him coldly, though Anuriel looked more offended than she. “This document is a forgery, and even if it were real, I have proof of her own 'extramarital carnal relations', so the agreement is null and void regardless!” As his claims echoed the hall, Jarl Laila Law-Giver rose from her seat, drew herself to her full height, and reminded everyone in attendance why she was so named.

“Bolli Trout-Purse, this is your only warning. Another outburst such as that and you will be held in contempt of court. Any unfounded slur against another's honor, and you will be charged with slander. Do I make myself clear?” Her tone was steady as oak, and her words as hard as steel.

“Yes, my Jarl.”, Bolli said in defeat.

“Now, to the first of your contentions.”, she began as she sat back down. “You still claim that this agreement is a forgery. Both myself and Anuriel have vouched for its authenticity. Beyond your own lack of recollection, can you present any evidence that this document is a falsehood?”

“Not at this time, my Jarl.”, he was forced to admit.

“Then until the time as such evidence is forthcoming, the agreement stands. Now to your second contention. You claim to have in your possession evidence of Nivenor's infidelity. Where is this evidence?”

“Right here, my Jarl.” He pulled the letter from his pocket and handed it to her. “A testament made by an investigator I hired to find proof her infidelity. He found that at the time and place stated there, Nivenor engaged in 'extramarital carnal relations' with your own Housecarl, Unmid Snow-Shod!” Bolli threw an accusing glare to the armored warrior leaning against the wall.

“What!?”, snapped Nivenor.

“What?”, Unmid said, surprised to be drawn into this drama he had previously been enjoying.

“Whaaat!?”, Anuriel cried, a bit more shrilly than she had intended.

“Silence!”, the Jarl called. She regarded the 3 concerned attendees. “Were going to get to that bit in moment, I promise, but just now, two details I need clarified: First, you hired an investigator to find evidence of your wife's infidelity while you were engaging your own?”, she asked with some incredulity. “That suggests to me a foreknowledge of this agreement of which you have claimed to have no recollection.”

Bolli then realized how bad that looked.

“My Jarl, I swear to you by all the divines...”, he stammered.

“Nuh-uh-uh-uh-uh!”, the Jarl cut him off. “Don't swear, just answer. If your purpose in hiring this investigator was not to invalidate the agreement, then what was it?”

“My Jarl... I can't...”

“Why did you have your wife investigated?”, she demanded.

“...I wanted to show that she was no better than me.”, Bolli finally admitted.

“Wow... that is... really pathetic, if true.” Even the Jarl felt mildly embarrassed for him at that moment. “Very well, on to the second detail.” The moment passed. “There is no signature on this letter. Who was this investigator you hired?”

“An Imperial named Tasius Tragus.” Bolli hadn't even noticed the letter was unsigned. The man hadn't signed any of his other notes, but he recognized the handwriting, so he never had cause to doubt its origin.

“This person is not known to me. Does anyone else here know of this Tasius Tragus?” All around the hall were murmurs in the negative. The Jarl had handed the letter to the Steward, and she was pouring over it with a keen personal interest.

“My Jarl, I may have some pertinent information with regards to this document. If I may be excused?”, Anuriel inquired.

“Very well.” The Steward walked quickly back to her chambers, as the Jarl went on. “Now, on to the other bit. Lady Nivenor, have you engaged in extramarital carnal relations with Unmid Snow-Shod at any time?”

“No, my Jarl.”, she stated matter-of-factly.

“Unmid Snow-Shod, have you engaged in extramarital carnal relations with the Lady Nivenor at any time?”

“Absolutely not, my Jarl.”, he stated emphatically.

“Bolli Trout-Purse, are you able to produce this Tasius Tragus to testify on your behalf?”

“No, my Jarl. I'm not even sure if he's still alive...”, Bolli trailed off.

“Naturally. I don't know why I expected otherwise.” The Jarl was rubbing the bridge of her nose as her Steward returned with an open notebook.

“Here we are, my Jarl. On the night in question, my diary shows that Unmid Snow-Shod was escorting me on a census taking visit to Ivarstead. We spent the night to... We spent the night at the inn there.” Anuriel mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' to Unmid, who shook his head as to tell her not to worry.

“See, that's what evidence looks like.”, the Jarl directed at Bolli. She then leaned back in her seat and slapped her palms down upon the armrests. “Right, we'll take care of the lesser stuff first. Bolli Trout-Purse, I find you have slandered the Lady Nivenor and Unmid Snow-Shod in open court. Lady Nivenor, do you wish to press charges against Bolli Trout-Purse?” Bolli looked to his soon-to-be-former wife helplessly.

“Would that interfere with the timely conclusion of the divorce?”, Nivenor inquired.

“Wouldn't help.”, the Jarl admitted.

“I do not wish to press charges, my Jarl.”

“Unmid Snow-Shod, do you wish to press charges against Bolli Trout-Purse?”

“Can I punch him in the nose and we call it even?”, the Housecarl asked hopefully.

“You good with that?”, the Jarl pointed to Bolli. “It's 10 days and a 200 septim fine otherwise.”

“Uh... yes, I guess...” The Nord warrior walked across the hall, and clinched an armored fist. Bolli began to protest. “Wait, aren't you going to take off your... Argh!” Bolli fell to his knees clutching an almost certainly broken nose, and Haelga moved to comfort him. As Unmid returned to his post, he and Anuriel exchanged an odd, amused look.

“Done and done.”, the Jarl declared. “Now, are there any further outstanding points of contention concerning the annulment?”

“No, my Jarl.”, Nivenor stated. Bolli just weakly shook his head.

“Very well. The court finds in favor of the Lady Nivenor of Valenwood. As per the terms of their premarital agreement, all assets and holdings of Bolli Trout-Purse within the Rift are to be signed over to the Lady Nivenor. As there is no allotted time stated for the execution of this agreement, I find that a period of 3 days shall be adequate for Bolli Trout-Purse to fulfill his obligations. I declare your marriage annulled and this court adjourned.”

The Lady Nivenor of Valenwood turned and proudly strode to the exit. Bolli rose and tottered out with the aid of the future Mrs. Trout-Purse. The Steward Anuriel went to return the papers to the archives, shooting a parting smile to Unmid Snow-Shod. Jarl Laila Law-Giver slumped forward and rubbed her eyes before posing the question to no one in particular:

“Is everyone in this city but me getting laid?”

“I'm not, my Jarl.”

“Shut up, Svana.”

“Yes, my Jarl.”

Over the next 3 days, the Steward Anuriel (who had clearly not forgotten his 'elf-slut' outburst) gladly audited the full transfer of assets and property of Bolli Trout-Purse to the newly single Lady Nivenor. At several points over those 3 days, Bolli began to wonder himself if he truly had signed that agreement. Haelga had certainly questioned it. Between that and the loss of his wealth, her enthusiasm for their romance faltered somewhat. Unknown to Bolli, Haelga had discreetly inquired about buying the Bunkhouse back from Svana, even offering to pay as much as 300 gold. However, she was stunned by the news that Svana already had another buyer lined up.

By the end of those 3 days, word had gotten around about the details of his divorce, and Bolli found he had also lost the respect of his friends and neighbors. Even Maramal, the temple priest, admonished him for violating his oath to their patron divine, the Lady Mara. The worst of it was when he went into The Bee & Barb for what would be the last time, and everyone there began calling him 'Trout-Purse'. By the end of the week, half the town was addressing him so.

Ten days after the divorce, Bolli and Haelga left for Solitude, and to his surprise, most of his Nord employees opted to go with him to work at the new fishery. They knew that Nivenor had no head for business, and they weren't too keen on the prospect of answering to an elven female either. This buoyed his spirits somewhat on the trip to Haafingar.

They promptly sunk again on arrival. To begin with, the site was less than 'ideal' for a fishery. It was workable, he concluded, but far from desirable. To add to his woes, Gajul-Lei had somehow learned of the loss of the Riften Fishery.

“I must express my disappointment at these developments. Instead of expanding a successful business, we are reduced to beginning a competing business. However, I have been given latitude to negotiate, and you still have the edge in experience, and that may prove the deciding factor. I'll consider the matter and tell you my decision tomorrow.”

Bolli got no sleep that night. As he sat down with Gajul-Lei the next day, he felt as if a void had taken the place of his stomach.

“I believe we can still come to an agreement.”, the Argonian began. Bolli's face began to light up, but he went on. “However, this endeavor has now substantially increased in risk to The Kvatch Company, and this makes negotiation of a fair dividend on our investment... more difficult.” He gave his 'Salesman Smile' again.

In the end, Bolli agreed to pay a percentage of his profits nearly 5 times more than was originally estimated. He had no choice, and they both knew it. The Nords who had come along with him were disappointed, to say the least, that Bolli wouldn't be able to match their former pay, especially given the higher overall cost of living in Solitude.

5 days into the construction of the new fishery, Haelga came to him with wonderful news. She was pregnant with (what was to be legally considered) his first child.

For a plan with as many moving parts as this one, N'Karis was amazed that it all went a well as it did. It didn't achieve everything his dal'ariit had asked for, but it seemed to work out well enough for all its participants.

Gajul-Lei, or as he was better known, Gulum-Ei, a fence for the Thieves Guild in Solitude, handled the details on that end. He purchased the plot and jetty in the name of the 'Kvatch Company'. The investment and dividend agreement were real enough. N'Karis provided the funds, and Gulum-Ei negotiated the terms vigorously, as he was to get a 12% cut of the dividend.

Wujeeta had liked Bolli well enough, but had also grown tired of having to constantly prove her value as a worker to him, when she had been clean and (mostly) sober for over a year now, and she was the employee who had been with the fishery the longest. All she had to do was relay the news about the deal to Haelga, and she became the new Foreman of the Riften Fishery.

Svana's part was a bit more of a gamble. Haelga might have reconsidered leaving with Bolli if she still had the Bunkhouse to fall back on. For all the threats she'd made over the years to gladly abandon the business, Svana needed to stick close to her for the right moment to claim the seemingly worthless building. 'The Kvatch Company' paid her 5,000 septims for the deed she had bought for 2, and she bought herself a nice little place in the Plains District of Whiterun. She never saw her aunt or Riften again.

Of course, N'Karis couldn't run a scam like this in Riften without the Guild's blessing, so there he had to strike a bargain. If he could pull this off in its entirety, including getting the deed, he would grant the Guild use of Haelga's Bunkhouse, and they could begin converting it into a proper brothel. Thanks to the reputation she and the place carried, they would of course be keeping the name. If the rest worked, but he couldn't get the deed, they'd get his share from the Solitude Fishery. As it all worked out, N'Karis would be getting a 30% share of the new brothel's profits once it was up and running, which would be deposited into the fishery's coffers while he was out of town, Nivenor and her home would have Guild protected status, and the protection fee for the fishery would be halved.

The rest was mostly forgery and legwork. After the Black-Briar Murders, N'Karis had recovered for himself something he once recovered for Maven: The Quill of Gemination. He didn't yet know how to make the required ink to activate the quill's magic duplicating effect, but he had found some with it, so he had a limited supply. He had access to samples of Bolli's and Maven's signatures, and getting into Anuriel's chamber for her seal and signature, checking her diary for the date with an alibi, then into the city archives to plant the retroactive agreement proved easy enough. Bolli had carelessly left the investigators earlier correspondence where anyone could find them. Forging the his hand on the false accusation letter unfortunately used up a lot of the ink.

Replacing the Nord workers who left actually proved to be a boon. N'Karis was on good terms with the Argonian Assemblage in Windhelm, as he had done some 'trade union advocacy' with the Shatter-Shields on their behalf . When he offered them jobs with better pay and a better climate, they couldn't pack fast enough. As it turned out, Wujeeta ran a tight ship, Shahvee was great at balancing the books, and most of the Argonians, even some of those who had already worked there, worked overtime to pool their money for a new assemblage hall on the waterfront.

The truly difficult part was restraining himself from being with Nivenor except to give updates, and to coach her in using the enchanted amulet to its best effect during the trial. The key was to speak as sparingly as possible, so no one magically inclined would begin to sense it, and when she did speak, keep to short declarations.

And replacing Haelga's anti-pregnancy potions with stale mead and dwarven oil (the closest N'Karis could come to replicating the flavor) was just too funny not to do once he had thought of it.

Once the final details of the plan had been attended to and concluded, N'Karis joined the Lady Nivenor in her chambers for an intimate celebration.

“So you are now wealthy, though not endlessly so. You may want to practice some restraint in your purchases, now that it's entirely your own money you'll be spending.” The Wood Elf rolled her large, beautiful eyes. “You needn't work anymore, at any rate. You are secure. You have your own home, which you can now redecorate to your tastes. Unfortunately, the plan has not yielded 9 male concubines nor a unicorn, but I'll keep my eyes open.” The Khajiit concluded, and returned his tongue to the task of seeking the last few grains of moon sugar from his lover's navel.

“Oh, I'm taking care of that myself.”, Nivenor replied, taking another sip of some 3rd era Colovian brandy. N'Karis looked up again.

“Where did you find a unicorn?”

“No.”, she laughed. “I've offered Valindor a full-time position as my valet. Oddly, I haven't had another Bosmer since I was in my 30's, and it's been a while since I've had the chance or the time to truly and thoroughly seduce a male. I should have him properly enthralled within a month or so, but I'll need a bigger house before I can bring in the other eight.” As she spoke, she broke down another sugar crystal and sprinkled it, this time between her breasts.

“This one is glad to hear you've taken up a hobby. It's important to keep oneself busy.”, he observed as he migrated up her torso.

“I do feel some lingering regret for Bolli.”, she confessed in a rare moment of empathy.

“For losing him, or him losing you?”

“The latter, certainly. And for taking almost everything from him...”

“Ah, but we have given something back to him as well.”

“We have?”

“We have given him back what he has lost, and we have given him the fate you wished for him.”, he said as though it were plainly evident.

“How have we given back what he's lost?”

“Think of it. Before, he had a fishery, 2 boats, and a Bosmer wife he did not trust. Now, he will have a fishery, 2 boats, and a Nord wife he does not trust. Technically, he lost a mistress in the exchange, but Solitude is a big city. I'm sure he can find another.”

“A bit of step down in quality all around, though, wouldn't you say?”, Nivenor smirked.

“Well, the new boats should be perfectly fine, anyway.”, N'Karis offered in defense. “And don't forget, all of the plan hinged on Bolli's cooperation. He didn't have to spend all those nights with Haelga. He didn't have to investigate you for hypocritical reasons. He didn't have to get drunk, or divorce you, or make an athokriss tazashabika of himself in front of the Jarl. We may have set the snare, but he walked the path we knew he would to step into it.”

“Well, I feel much better about it when you put it like that.”, she said before taking another sip of brandy.

“Now all the elements are in place for the fate you wished upon him. All that is left is to present yourself before his eyes 40 years from now, the... uh... what was the word this one used? Immodest? Immoderate?” He was teasing her, of course.

“Immaculate!”, she corrected him with a single swat of a pillow.

“Ah, yes, the 'immaculate goddess you remain'.”, he said with flourish. “Also those other two things.”, he added. At that, Nivenor set down her drink and attempted to swat N'Karis' repeatedly. Soon enough, he had gotten hold of her wrists and pinned her to the bed.

“And you did all this for me, at a cost of over 30,000 septims, and that magic ink which can't be replaced. Those are the kind of resources that could depose monarchs, or tilt the scales of wars. Why spend it for the sake of my pride and selfishness?”, she asked in a rare concession to self-awareness.

“The money is still more 'invested' than spent. I may yet see a return on it.” Anything was possible, he supposed. “But if you are honestly asking why I did all this, it is because your joy is worth more than money. Also, I wanted to see if I could.”

“I would never have doubted your capabilities.” Nivenor placed her hand to his face, and he leaned into it. “You've pulled off schemes more complex than this one, surely.”

“Perhaps, though I had never planned ones such as this entirely on my own.” It was true. While there were many guild members who specialized in such 'confidence jobs', N'Karis' usual approach was much more direct.

“So you wanted a challenge? To know if you were smart enough to do it?”

“Mmm, yes and no. Primarily, I wanted to see if a suspicion I had was true.”

“What was that?”

“Do you recall the night I gave you the amulet?” She nodded. “Looking back on that night, I realized that while you wore it, I did everything you asked of me.”

“I thought you said the magic couldn't compel you if you knew it was there?”

“It shouldn't. With speech-augmenting enchantment 10 times as powerful as this one, it still couldn't. However, I don't think it was compelling me to obey. I believe I wanted to do the things you asked of me, and I believe it was inspiring me to do them.”

“How is inspiring different from compelling?” Nivenor got up to retrieve the amulet from the lock-box where she kept her best jewelry.

“To compel one to act, you must make them believe the required action is their only option. This empties the imagination, and the best they can perform this action is limited by how it is explained to them, and how well they understand how to perform the action themselves.”

“Alright, I think I follow that.” She sat back down on her side of the bed.

“To inspire one to act ignites the imagination, opening new options, and allows actions that even they themselves might previously believe they could not do. This also means that one cannot be inspired to do anything they did not want to do themselves, because the option to ignore the instructions would still occur to them.”

“So someone who is compelled would do as they're told, but couldn't do anything original. Someone who is inspired could act originally, but would only obey if they wanted to go along with what they were told to do anyway.”, Nivenor summarized.

“Right. That night last month, the things you asked me to do required me to think of solutions, but you can't compel someone to think. So I suspected that something else was happening. I thought, if I could put together a plan that achieved your desires, the realistic ones anyway,” She shrugged an acknowledgment there. “and make it work, that would confirm my suspicion.”

“But if these enchantments can't do that, why does this one?” She held up the gold and emerald amulet in her hand.

“I have no idea. Most likely a flaw or intentional variation in the enchantment, perhaps because I'm a Khajiit, and my mind moves differently, perhaps because I love you, or some combination of the three. I suppose we could find some way to test it, maybe ask J'Zargo...” Nivenor stood and clasped the chain around her neck. “Wait, what are you doing?”

“I have a new list of desires I want you to hear.”, she said.

“Dal'ariit, no.” N'Karis could not believe she would do this. “You would turn my love for you this way, to make me a servant?”

“Be quiet.” He did not wish to, but he fell silent just the same. If all he had been or had become to her was a means to get what she wanted, then there was nothing left to be said between them.

She sat beside him, placed her forehead to his, and began.

“I want you to survive. I want you remain free. I want you to be happy.” What was this? “I want your blades to strike true, and your arrows to find their marks. I want you to pick any pocket or lock with all of your skill to get what you need. I want every poison you brew at its full potency. I want every one of your illusions to succeed. I want you to sneak and cheat. I want you to confound, confuse, spy, sabotage, forge, frame, escape and evade. I want you to trap, trick, loot, plunder, assassinate, and fight every day if you have to to make it to the next.” N'Karis smiled, and privately felt ashamed for doubting her. “I want death for your enemies, and prosperity for your friends. I want you to obtain the justice and satisfaction you seek.” That came as something of a surprise. He had never spoken to Nivenor of his lifelong vendetta, but she had obviously come to know him better than he had realized. “I want you to have as much moon sugar as you like, and I want you to follow your wise loins to whomever they lead.” She nuzzled her nose to his there. “If the day comes that I am ready to have children, I want you to sire every one of them.”

“This one's not sure that one's possible.”, he interrupted. She pulled away from his face.

“And are you really going to let that stop you?”, she asked with an incredulous tone.

“No, I suppose not.”, he admitted.

“I want you to fuck me, on any night you choose, with the windows open so all the Rift echoes with your roar, and I want you to share my bed until the sun rises.”, she concluded.

N'Karis rolled over, stood up on the other side of the bed, reached and opened the windows just above them. Nivenor smiled, and tossed the pillow over her shoulder and onto the floor.

“I'll see what I can do.”, he replied.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> There are many misconceptions about Khajiit sexuality, the most common of which has been furthered by the uncensored edition of a popular biographical series. However, it is not entirely accurate to describe the penile spines of male Khajiit as 'barbs'. They do not deliberately hook into the interior of the partner, and in the case of most forms of consensual vaginal intercourse, should cause female partners limited to no discomfort (Regrettably, the author can make no such assurance with regard to male partners and/or non-vaginal intercourse). There is of course a risk of injury associated with premature withdrawal, as described in said literature, and this is why, as a rule, clear communication and trust is essential between sexual partners, of all races and genders.  
> The principle departure from other races is the multiple tiered orgasm of the Khajiit male. Upon full penetration, the typical thrusting motion of Men and Mer is not an option, so the penis will instead begin a sequential throbbing motion commonly described as a 'roil'. The orgasm begins with a primary ejaculation, being the strongest release and the most intense sensation for the male. This is usually achieved in the first 2 to 10 minutes of intercourse. This is followed by a more subdued roil motion, accompanied by several secondary ejaculations. This stage can last a further 10 minutes to 2 hours, with the total ejaculate volume depending primarily on the male's age and vitality. The third stage will last a further 5 to 30 minutes, and is marked by the roil reduced to a 'tremor', multiple small tertiary ejaculations paired with increasing urethral discomfort, and a gradual relaxing of the spines back into the penile sheath. Once complete, it will then be entirely safe to withdrawal.  
> Opinions on intercourse with Khajiit males among non-Khajiit partners does vary wildly, with the most common complaints being the limited range of motion and the potentially protracted period of penetration. Many others have stated the sensation of the roil and the spines themselves to be both novel and pleasurable. It should be noted that reports of intercourse between Khajiit and Altmer partners are exceptionally rare, due to the stigma in Altmer society attached to interracial intercourse. While the few anonymous reports available do not indicate any particular issues (indeed, the majority are resoundingly positive), special caution should be advised during such pairings, if any.
> 
> Ta'agra:  
> -”Athokriss Tazashabika” Insult with no established translation (Here N'Karis is engaging in a sort of free-form descriptive insulting, a lingual art which is primarily found in the more rural areas of Elsweyr, by loosely chaining established words together by their common syllables and sounds. From the words used in this case, 'Kriss', 'Athoku', 'Taza', 'Shabi', and 'Zashka', it can be inferred that he is calling Bolli a 'Piss-brained, irritating hair-ball')  
> -“Dal'ariit” Lover at the moment (A term of endearment between irregular sexual partners)  
> -“Tani'jeek” Foolish penis (The most common translation of this insult in Tamrielic is 'cuckold', however its intent is not to say that one's mate is having sex with others, but rather to accuse one of being incapable of pleasuring a sexual partner, which, to a Khajiit, is a far greater insult)  
> -“Zuub-Zuub” A slang term for sexual intercourse (Generally implies vigorous intercourse)


End file.
